Dear Fellow Landlord,

In this update:

• Tenant Not Paying Late Fees? Collect Them Anyway!
  
• Ask the Eviction Attorney, John Reno
  
• Wealth Secrets & Quotes
  

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or would like to add or share any material / information.
John Nuzzolese
John@theLPA.com

Have you ever had a tenant who pays the rent late, but always ignores the late fee? How about when you repeatedly send late fee notices? Are those notices ignored too? Don't you just hate that?

You are not alone. I know the feeling. Many, many landlords experience this frustration.

Because the tenant pays the rent, though late, most landlords are willing to let it slide. You may be tempted to look the other way, reasoning that the tenant isn't so bad. "At least the rent is getting paid", you might think. Why rock the boat, right? "At least I'm not dealing with an eviction... yet."

You might also be thinking that you can collect these unpaid charges from the security deposit...

read more about getting your past due late fees PAID!

Real Estate Attorney John Reno, an expert in landlord tenant legal matters, has specialized in landlord tenant law for many years. Mr. Reno answers questions asked by LPA members to help solve all kinds of landlord tenant problems.

Dear Mr. Reno:
What is your opinion about changing locks on a rental house before a new tenant moves in. Is this the safest thing to do to prevent liability?
Margaret, North Carolina

A: Most landlords change'em, but I would save the $20. Here's why:
The chances of the old tenant using his key to break into the new tenants unit is slim to non. (I've never seen it in my personal experience.) Even then, its very debatable if you would be liable. (One person is rarely responsible for the criminal act of another.)
Finally, if you're still worried, just note in on the lease "Tenant has been provided the keys to the present locks." You're off the hook.
That's my take.

If you have a landlord tenant problem you'd like to ask a question about, please feel free to e-mail me your question.
Submit a landlord / tenant question for Mr. Reno
Please try to keep your questions as short and to the point as possible.

"You don't save a pitcher for tomorrow. Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison

"How much did your last tenant problem cost you? It was a lot more than an LPA membership, wasn't it?" - John@TheLPA